Chapter 193
Chapter 193: I Am the Teacher's Best Student!
Cocotte sat to one side, resting her cheek in her hand as she thought.
Based on what Erika had described, combined with the elemental upheaval she had sensed within the Rift—
It wasn't hard to see that Viktor had definitely gone off to challenge a Calamity again.
While the odds of a Calamity of Wind actively seeking out a human girl were low, they were absolutely not zero.
And this wasn't even an isolated coincidence.
Back in the City of Mages, Viktor had similarly challenged the Calamity of Wood.
Prior to that, Erika had likewise exhibited abnormal signs.
Her body had been covered in flowers—not an illness, but a manifestation of dense Wood-element energy.
Thinking about it this way, Cocotte couldn't help but feel the sheer outrageousness that was Viktor.
The fact that this girl had been carried all the way from the Northern Frontier to the south—spanning the entire Empire—by the Calamity of Wind meant Viktor almost certainly knew something.
Perhaps Viktor had done it on purpose.
Cocotte was now certain of it.
This golden-haired girl—she definitely had some kind of connection to the Calamities.
Cocotte rested her chin in her hand and narrowed her eyes at the weakened Erika.
Just then, Auréliane rose gracefully to her feet.
"I understand."
She looked at Erika.
"Erika du Chloe."
"First, I owe you an apology—I misread the nature of your relationship with my Teacher."
"And second, I want to express my gratitude for the sacrifice you made. Your actions saved tens of thousands of lives in the Northern Frontier."
Auréliane gave Erika a small, respectful bow.
Erika was thoroughly flustered—after all, the person bowing and offering her apologies was Her Highness the Princess of the Empire.
And she didn't even fully understand what had happened.
She tried to rise and return the courtesy, but her body was too weak, her legs too soft—she couldn't get up.
But there was no need for her to continue, as Auréliane had already straightened.
This time, however, when Auréliane's gaze returned to her, it carried a faint undercurrent of rivalry.
Erika was caught off guard. She couldn't quite make sense of it.
"That Teacher went to save you means you hold an important place in his heart."
"But—I will not lose."
Auréliane looked at Erika with complete seriousness, her voice carrying absolute confidence:
"Before long, the Royal Magic Academy will begin its new term and commence enrollment."
"I will enroll at that time, and join Teacher's class."
Under Erika's bewildered stare, Auréliane raised her head with proud composure.
"I will prove to Teacher."
"Who is truly his finest student."
With that, she turned elegantly and made her unhurried departure.
"Council Member Yadh—if Teacher returns, please pass on my regards."
"I'll be resting first."
Cocotte lay sprawled across her cloud, let out a yawn, buried her face into it, and gave a low, muffled "mm."
Gwen also cast a somewhat conflicted glance at Erika, then fell into step behind Auréliane to escort her out.
The First Prince had already arranged lodgings for Auréliane.
And as Auréliane's personal Knight, Gwen was obligated to stay by her side at all times—her shadow and her shield.
With the 2 of them gone, Erika still looked a little dazed.
It was only natural—she had barely woken up, and to be met with a situation like this left her thoroughly confused.
The large room now held only her and Cocotte.
The former Elven Council Member still wore that characteristic half-asleep expression.
Watching her drowsiness, Erika felt her own head grow heavy.
She was starting to want to crawl back into bed and lie down for a while.
She was just barely pushing herself to her feet when the drowsy Cocotte suddenly murmured something in a half-lucid haze:
"Mm—that power inside you, you'd do well to make full use of it."
"Who knows—before long, I might just get to witness the youngest 3rd-Tier Mage in history."
At Cocotte's words, Erika froze in place, startled into stillness for a full second.
The youngest... 3rd-Tier Mage?
That title—within the Empire, it had originally belonged exclusively to Viktor.
He had reached the 3rd Tier at the age of 20. His name as a prodigy had spread across the entire Empire.
And she—could she possibly have a chance at breaking Professor Viktor's record?
Erika's heart began to pound with excitement.
If that were the case, she might be able to close the gap between herself and Professor Viktor even slightly.
"......"
No. It still wasn't enough.
Erika thought back to the godlike power Viktor had displayed within the Vision—strength that, even compared to the great black dragon that had appeared in the Extreme Northern Ice Plains, stood on equal footing.
And besides—they had all said it themselves.
Professor Viktor had saved her from the clutches of that creature...
In that moment, Erika pressed a hand to her chest.
Her disobedient heart beat faster still.
She couldn't quite tell whether it was Cocotte's words that had filled her with such joy and excitement.
Or whether there was some other reason entirely.
All of a sudden, the fast-asleep Cocotte bolted upright as though something had just struck her.
She snapped her head up and looked at Erika.
"Wait—you're a student at the Royal Magic Academy?"
Erika stared at Cocotte's rather extreme reaction, her expression completely blank.
But she nodded slowly all the same.
"Mm... yes, that's right."
"The Academy that Rashel Azure-Blue founded?"
"Mr. Rashel is indeed our Academy's Principal."
Cocotte blinked, looking as though she couldn't quite accept what she was hearing. She clutched her head, her face twisting into an expression that was almost on the verge of tears.
"Wait—so that means... when the Academy opens its new term, Viktor is going to go back to work?"
Erika grew even more confused, tilting her head at Cocotte, who looked utterly despairing.
"That... isn't that common knowledge?"
"......"
Cocotte shoved her head straight into the cloud—the picture of someone who had completely given up on themselves.
Because Cocotte had just remembered—she had promised Viktor she would serve as his Teaching Assistant.
But Viktor had only told her the Academy would be on holiday in a few days, and that she wouldn't need to work once that happened.
What Viktor had never told her, however, was that—
The Academy would eventually start a new term!
"...How about I find a way to blow up your Academy?"
"Please, I beg you—absolutely do not."
***
Viktor stood atop a high tower, gazing out into the distance.
The howling wind sent his black Coat—laced throughout with white patterns—snapping and billowing loudly in the gale.
This was the first battle line of the Magical Creature Rift, at the city walls along the Empire's border.
He had passed the soldiers standing guard at the walls and made his way up to this tower.
Both hands in his pockets, he looked out over the barren wasteland stretching before him.
After a long while, the sound of wings cutting through air came flap flap flapping near Viktor's ear.
A black Crow descended slowly from the overcast sky, circled twice in the air, and came to land naturally upon Viktor's shoulder.
"I'm exhausted."
The moment she touched down on Viktor's shoulder, Weija began to complain.
She had never imagined the Magical Creature Rift would be this far from the first battle line.
And since she had to make the journey back as an unremarkable Crow, she'd had no choice but to flap all the way here on her own wings.
"But I picked up something good."
"What is it?"
Viktor didn't look at her—he simply asked in an offhand tone.
Weija grinned and let out a little laugh.
"How would you like to grow a pair of wings, or maybe a tail? Trust me—my surgeries are a great success. Never failed once."
"Because I've never tried one before."
A faint cool breeze stirred in the air around them. Without anyone quite noticing how, even the garrison soldiers stationed far, far away gave an involuntary shiver.
The cold joke was, quite evidently, not funny.
Even the soldiers who couldn't hear a word Weija said felt a distinct chill.
Viktor said nothing. He turned and walked away, carrying Weija with him.
The Crow perched on his shoulder, still tittering:
"Sometimes I really do think you've got a decent human side to you."
Hearing what sounded like a compliment from Weija, Viktor's expression remained unchanged as he descended the stairs.
"How so?"
"You came all the way here just to pick me up, after all."
His footsteps didn't stop—only slowed, just slightly.
"I was worried some birds might fly and fly and end up unable to find their way home."
"You have a point. But I'm not a Crow."
A gust of wind whoosh-ed through the high sky, rolling the pitch-black, overcast heavens into layer after layer of churning clouds.
***
Several days later, news spread across the Empire.
The powerful creature that had appeared in the Empire's Northern Frontier was reported to be a creature suspected to be of dragon lineage.
It had flown down to the Empire's south, where it was slain by a 4th-Tier Mage of the Empire—the current Council Member of the City of Mages—Viktor Clavena.
With effortless ease, a crisis threatening the Empire's south was brought to an end.
The only casualties in the entire incident were a single military unit that had accompanied the Second Prince, which had been wiped out.
The Second Prince himself sustained severe injuries and was currently resting and recovering.
Viktor Clavena—the central figure in the whole affair—was at this moment residing in the Empire's south.
There, consequential news involving Viktor emerged on a daily basis.
The Demi-human unit led by Princess Auréliane had entered the Magical Creature Rift and performed with outstanding results among the Adventurer teams, amassing remarkable accomplishments.
They had even defeated the Floor Guardian of the 30th Layer of the Abyss.
For a time, the heat surrounding the Demi-human unit showed no sign of cooling.
The status of Demi-humans within the Empire was as lowly as that of slaves.
Yet somehow the Princess had managed to cultivate such an exceptionally powerful unit from Demi-humans—and this inevitably stirred considerable waves of public opinion.
At the same time, the most powerful Adventurer Guild in the Empire's south—the Beast Guild—formally announced it was joining the Clavena Family.
All at once, the Clavena Family was once again thrust to the forefront of public discourse.
***
North—the Delin Family.
The Second Prince lay quietly on a wooden bed, his body wrapped from head to toe in bandages.
The crackling, popping fire in the nearby hearth offered him a faint measure of warmth.
He propped himself up against the bedside with some effort, a sheet of white paper covered in black writing in hand.
The creature had left him severely injured—he had no choice but to recuperate within the Delin Family's estate.
Recuperation in name—in reality, it was little different from being held captive under house arrest.
He read through the newspaper, his eyes slowly scanning over it.
When he reached the account of Viktor slaying the black dragon, the Second Prince's pupils contracted sharply.
As though he had just seen something utterly beyond belief.
"Oh, reading the paper?"
A voice reached his ears.
The Second Prince followed the sound with his eyes.
Kavra was leaning in the doorway, head tilted, watching him with a smile.
"Nothing to be surprised about—that's my brother-in-law, after all."
The Second Prince gave a faint smile, set down the newspaper in his hand, and immediately let out a long, quiet sigh:
"Young Mistress of the Delin Family—what exactly would it take for you to let me return to the Royal Capital?"
"Simple enough."
Kavra narrowed her eyes, her voice carrying a thread of danger:
"Tell me—why is it that you,"
"carry the scent of a Demon on you?"